Friday, December 2, 2011

When to use "on" and when to use "in"

What are the proper usages of the words "in" and "on" in a sentence? One often confuses the two. Here are some examples: "The boat is in/on the water," "We are in/on the planet," "We're going to the concert in/on July 1st."
The use of prepositions in English is frequently idiomatic. General guidelines exist, but be prepared to learn individual expressions in which the preposition does not adhere to the guidelines.
In the case of the prepositions in and on, here are the most usual uses. "In" mainly denotes "rest at" while "on" indicates proximity and position above or outside. Here are some examples for the use of "in" for place, time, manner, and reference.
Place: He lives in the country.
Time: I'll be there in an hour.
Manner: The child ran down the steps in tears.
Reference: In my opinion, we need a referendum.
Here are some examples for the use of "on":
Place: He sat on the fence.
Time: He was not thinking well on that occasion.
Reference: He asked my opinion on the matter.
Condition: We'll hire him on your recommendation.
Posted by at

16 comments:

  1. Jaymico ReyesDecember 3, 2011 at 3:52 AM

    The difference with the usage of "in" and "on" will be discussed in the latter part of the semester. Anyways, thank you for informing us in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Angenica F. MartirezDecember 3, 2011 at 4:49 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Angenica F. MartirezDecember 3, 2011 at 4:50 AM

    Thank you for posting. I think you forgot to cite your reference(s).

    -Angenica Martirez

    ReplyDelete
  4. Christina CarpioDecember 3, 2011 at 4:56 AM

    I like your post because sometimes I also don't know when to use "in" and "on".

    ReplyDelete
  5. Christina CarpioDecember 3, 2011 at 5:08 AM

    Jaymico, since we ought to use formal English in this blog, I think it is improper to use "anyways" because it is used in colloquial English. Just use "anyway" to be safe.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Darwin D. DesilosDecember 3, 2011 at 9:27 PM

    Could I answer the unanswered sentences above?

    The boat is on the water," "We are on the planet," "We're going to the concert in July 1st."

    Are my answers right?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Stephanie BernardoDecember 4, 2011 at 5:11 AM

    Darwin, i think your answers are correct! If I need to answer them, I would have the same answers. This is really helpful, I often interchange the use of in, on, and even at.

    ReplyDelete
  8. kyle pascualDecember 4, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    For me, prepositions are tricky but fun to study because you can discover many things from it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. juancarlowageDecember 4, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    I always have a hard time on preposition. I am confused whether to use "in" or "on". I'll definitely study your post.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jessica Dyan Y. BonusDecember 5, 2011 at 2:47 AM

    I'm having a hard time when it comes to preposition, honestly. Thanks for sharing this Glenn.

    ReplyDelete
  11. GlennDecember 5, 2011 at 4:51 AM

    Darwin the answers are revealed in the latter part of the site.

    ReplyDelete
  12. charlotte parungaoDecember 5, 2011 at 5:56 AM

    "You and me sitting on a tree", a line from the song daydreamer. I'm just wondering if they are sitting above the tree or what? :D
    Thanks for sharing Glenn. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Limor Kristine TengDecember 5, 2011 at 5:59 AM

    Thanks for posting this Glenn. I'm really having a hard time when it comes to using prepositions.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Nikka TolentinoDecember 5, 2011 at 7:12 AM

    These two prepositions are really tricky to use. I appreciated that you tried to have a brief discussion on this topic. Thanks Glenn.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AtanDecember 5, 2011 at 7:32 AM

    Here's a question. Do you use "on behalf of" or "in behalf of"? I'm not sure what the answer is. Those two prepositions are very confusing.
    Anyway, thanks for clearing some things up between the two prepositions.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jason Angelo TrabucoDecember 5, 2011 at 7:49 AM

    Atan, "on behalf of" and "in behalf of" can be used in either ways. "on behalf of" is used when representing someone; on the other hand, "in behalf of" is used when you mean "to benefit someone."

    Here are the links I found:
    http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst7475_IN-BEHALF-VS-ON-BEHALF.aspx
    http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2006/09/in-behalf-of-vs-on-behalf-of.html

    ReplyDelete

What do you think?

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)